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Writing for more than 40 years
Winner of Sunday Times Literary Award for Confessions of a Gambler

Aug 9, 2012

Boosting your real estate business

Having your own real estate business
carries with it a lot of responsibility. If you are a rental or selling agent,
you know that every person who steps into your office is a potential buyer and
that you have to be at the top of your game all the time and convince the buyer
that the property you are trying to sell him or her is the best one in the
neighborhood, or the property is so damaged that it will take an awful lot of
money to restore. Once you have set your mind on a particular property it is
time to meet with the seller and discuss options.

First, however, you should
sit down with your agent and discuss how much money you need. Do you need real
estate financing?Some of the biggest
deals required no money up front except that the buyer has access to cash or to
credit. Real estate agents know how to wheel and deal and some of them make a
quick buck by buying a cheap house in an unsavory area, keep it for two months,
do no renovations and sell it as is for a higher price. Another option is to
buy a property, make some renovations and flip it before the money is due. The
danger here is that if you did not manage to sell the house by the due date,
you are in real trouble.

Tips on how to prepare for an open house

·Start with the
backyard and remove all the rubble at the side of the house. Clean off the
porch and throw away old litter. Stand on the other side of the street and see
how the house looks. This will give a buyer its first look at the property. If it
is unsightly the buyer might be put off.

·Besides cleaning
the house and washing the windows, make sure that you have a clean kitchen with
no crumbs and dirty plates and cutlery on the counter tops.

·Do a killer
brochure with pictures of the different areas of the house with all rates and
taxes, selling price and relative information in it. Give it to everyone who
comes to the open house.

·If the house
seems dark, draw back the curtains or roll up the blinds and do a bit of
staging with mirrors and flowers to give the house a fresh look.

·If the bathroom
is the bad feature of the house, give the walls a quick paint with a lighter
color, hang a fern in the window, and put out your nice hand soaps in bowls,
and have rolled-up towels in a basket. It is worth to spend money when selling
a house and two or three small touch-ups can change the appearance. If you can
afford it your bathroom can look brand new if you replace the carpeting with
tiles and change all the rusty railings and faucets.

·Bake a cake and
set it on the table where the agent will be sitting answering questions of
buyers and sellers. The cake is a nice gesture as it creates a good environment
and a pleasant smell of home. Conducting real estate business in a pleasant
atmosphere makes buying and selling easier.